A Scottish public library Lend & Mend Hub has helped to revamp Girvan town centre using recycled and reusable bunting.
The Girvan Community Bunting Project used their local Lend & Mend Hub at Girvan Library to create miles of upcycled decorations. Now the town's shorefront, harbour, shopping and tourist areas are cheerfully and colourfully decorated with handmade, recycled bunting
The decorations were the idea of local volunteer Rosemarie Speedie who approached the Lend & mend Hub last November. Since then, the Hub has been taking regular fabric donations with around 14 ‘Community Bunters’ meeting every Wednesday at the Hub to create their designs.
Claire McCormick, Assistant in Charge at Girvan Library, said: “The challenging premise of making literally miles of bunting was daunting at first for the team of volunteers, but with a lot of hard work and determination, the Community Bunting project has been an outstanding success.
“Library customers enjoyed the Wednesday morning hustle and bustle and were interested in the Hub and how it can be used. The sessions were chatty, informal, inclusive and funny, with many volunteers expressing dismay when the project finally ended in April.”
The Girvan Library Lend & Mend Hub was one of one of the first public libraries in Scotland to open a Lend & Mend Hub in June 2023. The pioneering project managed by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) offers free access to repair, reuse and upcycle everyday items.
In the Girvan Lend & Mend Hubs members of the community can repair and upcycle everyday items using sewing machines, dress mannequins and an overlocker. The Hub also offers free workshops and drop-in sessions to help people learn new skills and develop existing ones.
Both the bunting project and the Hubs are a great example of how Girvan Library and the Lend & Mend Hubs are contributing to the wider Circular Economy at a local level. For individuals using the Hub, it also helps to keep clothes and household items in use for longer – removing the financial pressure which comes with replacing them.
Claire added: “It was by its very nature, a lovely community project. Indeed, looking to the future, the Community Bunters hope to reconvene in the Hub in November, when the bunting is brought down to repair the lengths for future use”.
You can find out more about the Girvan Lend & Mend Hub by contacting South Ayrshire Libraries.
